Visitors to Sidmouth beach found the decomposed body of a dolphin had washed up near Chit Rocks on Wednesday (December 28).

As the aquatic mammals are classed as a ‘royal fish’, Beer Coastguard members were tasked to fulfil their duty of taking measurements and identifying its sex and species.

The details are normally sent to the Natural History Museum but they learned it had been removed by the council shortly before their arrival.

Efforts were made to locate the carcass but it was badly decomposed and had already been disposed of.

Tony Velterop was among those who saw the body and said it looked like a bottlenose dolphin.

Royal fish, which also include whales and sturgeons, are the property of the Queen.